


last ones standing

by ninemoons42



Series: Dragon Effect - Annika [5]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass Effect
Genre: Banshees, Boss Fight, Canon-Typical Violence, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Firefight, Getting Together, Survival Horror, gunfight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2015-11-02
Packaged: 2018-04-29 15:07:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5132072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninemoons42/pseuds/ninemoons42
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An Ardat-Yakshi monastery. The skittering in the shadows. Samara and her daughters. And Shepard and Cullen ask each other the hard questions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	last ones standing

“Heads up,” Shepard was snapping over the comms. “Got movement, got too much skittering in the shadows, I’m going to light a flare and will everyone please put your fingers on your fucking triggers.”

On any other day that would have been some _really bad advice_.

Not today.

“Weapons hot,” Tali said.

“I think I’ve got Samara in my sights,” Garrus said. “Rutherford?”

Cullen cleared his throat and tried his very best to pretend that his skin wasn’t crawling even beneath multiple layers of armor. “I’ve still got all of you on my heads-up. Not the justicar.”

“She’s ahead, we’re lagging behind, let’s haul some ass,” Annika said, and then there was that bright flaring splash of lurid red light, arcing for the ceiling, and this was no monastery – it was a _killing field_.

Movement just off Shepard’s left. Damn, it was a tall thing, quick and lumbering, spiky on top – Cullen took a deep breath, sighted in, and squeezed –

A high shattering unearthly wail –

How he managed to keep his head he didn’t know – he just tried to shoot it again and this time there was silence. Blessed silence. 

_“What the fuck was that,”_ Garrus and Annika said, together – 

“Incoming!” Tali screamed. 

Cullen had never seen _things_ like the one that was screeching in Annika’s face – he shot it and then Garrus finished it off and _then there was another one_ – 

Crackle of blue sparks and blue aura and blue power, and he watched as Annika emptied her pistol into the hideous thing.

“Banshees.”

A quiet voice, an ally’s voice, and Cullen still came far too close to jumping out of his skin. Blue hand next to him, dark red suit. “Justicar,” he said, around the fearful pound of his heart.

“You’ve found their weak point, Cullen Rutherford. Keep shooting at their heads. I must see that my daughters do not meet such a horrifying fate as to be turned into those things – or if it should be too late, I must finish them off myself.”

Firefight. Tali screaming in defiance. Garrus throwing himself into the fray. Annika’s blue fire and Samara’s, enveloping that room and then the next, and the next – 

And in the end Cullen braced Annika on her feet, as she talked Samara down from suicide, as she saluted Falere’s determination.

As mother and daughter held each other, mourning softly, Cullen grasped Annika’s arms and turned her around carefully and said: “Damn this war. We’re running out of time. You need to know – I need to tell you – _I’m yours._ And I will do anything you tell me. Anything.”

“Kill me if I become indoctrinated.” Annika’s eyes were hard but her hands on his were rough and soft at the same time. “Could you go that far? Could you shoot me down if I became a threat to you and to the others? Could you bear to kill me?”

Cullen knew what the answer was and couldn’t make his mouth form the words – so he kissed her instead, acquiescent and determined and heartsick and full of love. 

“Answer me, Cullen. Please say yes. I’m yours whatever you say, but please say yes.”

“Annika. _Yes,_ ” Cullen said.


End file.
